Julia sat by a crackling fire at the heart of these woods. She leaned against her backpack for support while the sun surrendered the sky to the dominion of the moon. In spite of being isolated from all she knew, Julia had never felt more at ease.

That changed when the silvery light of the moon crept over these lands and shone upon her face. For years the moon had whispered to her in a language she did not understand. Tonight, her very soul understood she was being summoned.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.

“Where am I going to go?” Julia asked, and gulped at the depth of that question.

Where could she go? Risk those in her church group? Mark her parish priest for death? Crawl to her boyfriend and tell him it was all a lie?

“I’m utterly alone,” Julia said. “Cops won’t believe a word.”

Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.

“Do…’t care,” Gruff said, “…withdrawal symptoms… dependent on us…”

Julia realised that drugs and violence were their primary weapons. Strip a victim of their comforts, their dignity, and sovereignty over their body and most cracked. The drugs were an added control, one that made women dependent on their aggressors.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.

The excruciating pain, compounded by her inability to breathe would soon lead her to pass out. In an effort to delay the inevitable, she focused on remaining calm, cool, and collected. However, that was like asking a mouse to stay still when trapped between the jaws of a cat.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.

The difference was that Julia had a way out, but she needed to hold on until the opportunity presented itself. Her accelerated metabolism and ability to heal were a gift as well as a curse. While it made it harder for them to gain the upper hand with drugs, that left them with violence…

“How long do I have?” Julia asked.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.

As the mind reconnected with her senses slowly returned to her conscious mind, Julia realised that she was not on the elevated slab, at least not precisely. Instead she was bent over it, with her knees on the concrete floor, further she became aware that her legs, stomach and chest were freezing as well. Where are my clothes?

Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.